For a Rose
by Detective Rysposito
Summary: Rysposito High School AU. Kevin finally gets the courage to send his crush (who also happens to be his best friend) a valentine. Things don't go as smoothly as he'd hoped.


Ah, Valentine's Day. The love, the chocolate, and the roses fill the air creating either an exhilarating day of the year where you and your significant other spend the day giving each other hugs and kisses and love. Or you could be like Kevin Ryan, and spend the whole day nearly having a panic attack because you decided to give your best friend a damn rose expressing your love courtesy of one of Robert Frost's poems. Signed anonymously, of course; he wasn't a complete idiot.

Currently, Kevin's heart rate was shooting through the roof because it was their lunch period. He scheduled his rose to be delivered to Javier the period before so he can hear his thoughts during lunch (if it was stupid, he'd claim ignorance) and Kevin and Javier didn't share the same period prior to lunch. Therefore, he avoided that awkward moment when Javier first received it because Kevin knew that Javi would look at Kevin like, 'Woah, bro, didn't expect this.' and Kevin wouldn't be able to stop his face from burning red.

He was sitting at the table with Kate as they waited for both Javier and Rick to join them. Kate took a sip of her soda as she watched Kevin with a careful eye; he kept turning around to stare at the lunchroom doorway. She laughed and rolled her eyes, "I'll be sure to tell you when Romeo comes in, Juliet. Don't worry."

Kevin grumbled under his breath complaining 'why Javier was the boy in the relationship?', but his face still heated up. "I'm such an idiot, Kate. I bought him a rose, a fucking red rose. What kind of friend does that?" He was really starting to regret his decision.

Kate huffed, "The kind that has spent the past three years trying just about every other way to get his attention."

"Yeah, well, maybe it's just not meant to be." Kevin sighed, putting down his sandwich now that his appetite was ruined.

"You're such a damn drama queen, Kevin Ryan." Kate returned her soda can to the table with a little more force than needed. "You didn't come to me for help if you didn't think it's not 'meant to be'."

Kevin sighed, she was right; he confined in her at the beginning of the month that he was desperate to make Javier see how crazy he was for him. After a minute or so of Kate saying, "I knew it!", she finally calmed and agreed to help. The rose idea was all Kevin's, but Kate helped pick which poem he wanted to quote on the card.

"I know, Kate, but what if he laughs or—" Kevin's panicking was interrupted by none other than Richard Castle falling into the seat next to Kate.

"Ohh, is this gossip I hear?" He leaned in closer to the center of the table looking expectantly between Kevin and Kate. "Who is going to laugh about what?"

"None of your business, Rick." Kate said simply as she casually took a sip of her soda and Rick dropped a kiss to her cheek softly.

"If you say so, baby, but just remember: secrets are going to cost you extra." Rick wiggled his eyebrows with a smirk.

Kevin watched the couple exchange a "Happy Valentine's Day" and felt the bitterness boil inside of him. "Well at least you two are happy." Kevin grumbled more to himself, but Kate and Rick still heard.

Rick gave an amused snort, "Who pissed in your Lucky Charms?"

Kevin opened his mouth, but closed it right after he felt someone sit next him. Not just anyone, the same boy that sat there every day, Javier Esposito. Peeking an eye over at him, his heart swelled when he saw his rose carefully placed on top of his books with the note not too far.

Rick noticed it as well. "Why Javier Esposito, is that a rose?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow and smile.

Javier held the rose delicately in his hands, "You bet, man. Got it last period."

Kate gave Kevin a small wink before playing along with knowing nothing about the rose, "Who's it from? What's it say?"

Javier shared a glance with each of his friends before clearing his throat and reading strongly from the note, "The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee, expend their bloom in vain. Come over the hills and far with me, and be my love in the rain."

Kevin could practically feel the tips of his ears burning scarlet red, but kept his head down. Hearing Javier recite the small portion of the poem made Kevin's stomach do a million little flips and his heart flutter.

Kate clasped her hands together, "That is so sweet. Javi's got a little crush."

Rick nudged Javier with his foot and repeated, "So, who do you think sent it?"

Javier twirled the rose in his hand with a shrug of her shoulders. Kate smiled at Kevin and kicked his shin mouthing the words, 'Tell him!'. Kevin bit his lip nervously, but with a sideways glance at Javier showed that he was infatuated with the fragile rose he knew it was the perfect opportunity.

Kate nodded encouragingly when Kevin opened his mouth to speak…only to be interrupted by Javier, "My bet is on Lanie."

Rick and Javier seemed to be oblivious to Kevin and Kate's silent side conversation as they continued. "Oohh, really?" Came Rick using his melodramatic scandalized tone.

"Yeah, she's the only chica that would ever give me the time of day in this place." Javier put the rose back down. "Though, I never thought she'd be a Frost girl?"

Rick's eyebrows scrunched in confusion "Frost?"

"Yeah, Robert Frost. The note was a part of one of his poems." Javier explained picking the note up again to read it with a smile.

Then it finally dawned on Rick, "Robert Frost?" His eyebrows shot up and disappeared into his hair. How had he not seen it earlier? More importantly, how had Javier not seen it? Javier recognized the poet because Kevin loved Frost; he was usually carrying around his little book of Frost poems. "Oh my gosh…" Rick breathed finally looking at Kevin.

Meanwhile, Kevin hadn't even noticed. He was too busy trying to blink back tears because he wasn't going to cry, damn it. Of course Javi would think it was Lanie, why on earth would he even assume it was Kevin. Having a crush on your straight best friend was ridiculous.

It was stupid to even think that Javier wanted anything more than friendship.

"Kevin…" Kate whispered softly and leaned forward to place a hand on his arm.

He turned his gaze upwards, his vision blurry from tears, but he was able to see that his three friends were looking directly at him. He jerked his arm back close to his chest just before Kate's fingertips reached.

"Kev, you okay?" Javier asked, his voice laced with concern.

Kevin ignored the question and shot up from his seat, "Excuse me." And with that he ran out of the lunchroom.

Once he was gone, Javier turned to the other two and wondered, "What's wrong with Kevin?"

Kate tore her eyes away from where Kevin disappeared and gave him her scariest glare she could muster. "You're such an idiot."

* * *

Javier slammed his bedroom door shut with a huff. Ever since lunchtime, Kevin had given him the silent treatment. Javier could understand if he did something to annoy his best friend, but he was in the dark about this.

Kevin was never one to get angry, especially at Javier.

He placed the stupid rose on his dresser and stared threateningly at it; it seemed to be what caused Kevin's episode. Maybe because he hadn't received one? But that was impossible, Kevin never got jealous at something Javier had; he was always more than supportive.

So what was so different this time?

Kevin didn't even answer any of his calls, he noticed as he tossed his phone on his desk next to a small black book. Javier didn't recognize it for a split second before he realized it was the book Kevin carried around with him often, his book of poems. He must have left it in his room when they were studying last night.

Well, he's not getting his damn book back until he tells me what the hell is wrong, Javier thought spitefully as he plucked the book up. He noticed many pages were bookmarked with post its and highlighted and the margins were thoroughly written on.

But, the only pages that were marked with the bright pink post its were Frost's love poems. Robert Frost must be the popular poet, Javier assumed since both Kevin and his secret admirer favored his work.

Javier was absently flipping through the pages of the book, when a certain page caught his eye; it had two pink post its and a section of the first stanza was circled even though it was already neatly highlighted in yellow. Scribbled in Kevin's distinguishable handwriting on the margin, amongst annotations of what Kevin believed to be the speaker's true meaning was the word, _PERFECT!_

Javier felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest as he read the highlighted lines out loud in a broken whisper, "The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee…" He swallowed thickly and didn't want to continue reading, but couldn't seem to stop, "Expend their bloom in vain. Come over the hills and far with me…" Javier almost didn't want to finish reading because now he knew and damn, he fucked up.

He swallowed thickly; his throat filled with regret and pain, but finished the last of the highlighted lines anyway, "And be my love in the rain."

He fell to his bed with Kevin's book gripped tightly to his chest wishing he hadn't mentioned anything about Lanie because Kevin was the one that sent him the rose. His very male best friend.

But, Javier had no problem with that. The only problem that he had with this situation was the fact that he had gone on and on about how it had to be Lanie that sent him the rose because who else would?

Why had he been so blind? Why couldn't he have seen that his best friend had more than a crush on him, dare he say actually love him? And why couldn't Javier realize he felt the same before it was too late? Kevin probably hated his guts and that's why he left the cafeteria so upset earlier in the day.

"Idiot. Idiot Idiot!" Javier muttered as he smacked his forehead with the small book.

Javier knew he needed to fix his disaster. He didn't want to lose his best friend over this — especially because he felt the same way about him. And if that meant falling down on his knees and begging for Kevin's forgiveness then so be it. He would do anything to get him back.

* * *

Kevin avoided Javier for the rest of the day, even when he knew his friend was genuinely concerned about him. He didn't want to speak or even see him because he knew if he did, he would either A) get upset all over again or B) get angry at Javier. Neither which were good because it wasn't really his fault that he thought the rose was from Lanie.

Kevin loved Javier. Javier apparently didn't love him…well not that way.

"I'm so stupid." Kevin said in a broken whisper as a tear fell down his cheek. He was sitting on the fire escape just outside his bedroom with his legs dangling freely between the metal bars. "Because you couldn't control yourself, you lost best fucking friend. Great job." Kevin continued to berate himself.

"Years of friendship thrown away in the matter of a day. You're a real piece of work, Kevin Ryan." Kevin muttered angrily smacking his forehead against the metal rails.

"Not how I see it." A sudden voice made him jump.

Kevin snapped his head to the familiar voice that was tucked next to him between the rails as well. "Javier, how—"

Javier shrugged his shoulders, ignoring Kevin's gaze by looking down at the city streets. "Your mom let me in."

Kevin didn't say a word and turned his head away from his friend. He didn't want to see him, he just wanted to sulk by himself. Immature, but effective. Noticing that Javier wasn't leaving on his own, Kevin sighed in annoyance. "Don't you have a date to see? Lanie?"

Javier shook his head with scrunched eyebrows, "No, I had to tell you something."

"On Valentines Day? You got a rose, bro, go see Lanie." Kevin huffed and shoved him towards the open window behind them.

"That would make sense if she gave me the rose, wouldn't it?"

Kevin immediately pulled his hand off Javier's arm and returned his attention to Javier's earnest eyes. "What do you—" He licked his lips, "Who do you think sent it?"

Javier ignored the question and pulled a small black book from his coat pocket, "You left your book in my room. Figured you'd be missing it."

Kevin's eyes drifted to the book but didn't put much thought into it; still hoping for just the slightest chance that Javier figured it out. "Oh."

Javier pretended not to take heed to Kevin's escalating hope, "I read through it, hope you don't mind. I saw a poem that reminded me of you."

"Yeah?"

Javier nodded opening the book to skim through the pages, "Wanna hear it?"

"Yeah." Kevin breathed waiting for Javier to start.

Javier smiled softly and cleared his throat. His reading was just as strong as he read in lunch, but this time it had much more emotion behind it, "A flower unplucked is but left to the falling, and nothing is gained by not gathering roses." Javier closed the book shut and put it on the ground between them. "Whaddya say we gather some roses, Kevin?"

Kevin's eyes widened and he turned to his best friend, "Javi…" He wanted to get more out, but he couldn't form a sentence that would make any sense.

Javier didn't mind, perhaps preferred Kevin staying quiet for once. He held eye contact as he slowly closed the distance between them until their lips were only a mere inch apart. Javier could feel Kevin's breath rapidly puffing on his lips and without another moment of hesitation he sealed their lips together.

The kiss was soft and innocent, ending as quickly as it was started. Kevin couldn't help his smile from spreading from ear to ear. He bit his lip and extended his hand to hold Javier's. "Javi, will you be my Valentine?"

Javier laughed softly and placed an even softer kiss on Kevin's cheek, _"From now and forever, mi amor."_


End file.
